Scientists assure: life on our natural satellite and on Earth originated simultaneously.
Twice - this is at least - conditions suitable for life have developed on the Moon. This is the conclusion reached by astrobiologists from the universities of Washington (Washington State University) and London (University of London).
For the first time, the environment of our natural satellite became more or less comfortable about 4 billion years ago - shortly after it formed itself. The second time this happened about 3.5 billion years ago - when volcanoes began to massively erupt on the Moon.
About 3.5 billion years ago, the Moon was no worse than the Earth. And even better due to the reduced gravity.
One of the authors of the study, Professor Dirk Schulze-Makuch, explained: in those distant times, there were reservoirs and an atmosphere on the moon, the layer of which was one and a half times thicker than now on Mars. By the way, water has survived to this day - it flowed under the surface and froze. There it is millions of tons - confirmed by research.
Schultz's colleagues, Debra Needham and David Kring of the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, have no doubts that 3.5 billion years ago the Moon looked different. And in their opinion, the lunar atmosphere appeared as a result of volcanic eruptions.
Scientists assure that favorable conditions - a fairly dense atmosphere, liquid water, a comfortable temperature - have been preserved on the Moon for several million years. This time may well have been enough for the environment to be filled with life. At least primitive.
On Earth, primitive life in the form of cyanobacteria started just 3.5-3.8 billion years ago. It is believed that they were carried from space - on meteorites, comets and asteroids. In a similar way, bacteria got to the moon, which was nearby. For a while, they took root there. But, in the end, when the local conditions changed, all the available living creatures died out, not having time to start a further evolutionary process.
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Life on the Earth and the Moon was brought by celestial bodies that bombarded our planet and our natural satellite about 3.8 billion years ago.
The dream of astrobiologists is to test their theories. And look for traces of life directly on the moon. For example, in those places where water bodies could be located. The chances of finding something are far from zero.
VLADIMIR LAGOVSKY